2015 Starboard Flare Review

The 2015 boards and sails are in! For 2015 I decided to change things up with the equipment. I always like to ride what I feel is the best gear available. After getting a chance to ride the newest version of the Flare in September, I had made up my mind. It will be Starboard and Severne for me going forward! The first thing you'll notice is just how good looking the Starboard lineup is. And the Flare just might be the best looking board I've ever owned. But looks are only the icing on a very tasty cake.

A couple years ago I helped Windsport Magazine take part in a Freestyle Board review for many of the 2013 models. On the top of that list were JP, Starboard and at that time, my favorite board, the Fanatic Skate. Two years have passed since those tests and Taty Frans along with the rest of the Starboard freestyle team have stepped up the game. My complaints about the 2013 Flare were small. It bounced around in the chop a bit and the rails were a little too sharp to make the spinning tricks easy in the chop. Well, for the 2015 model those things have been more than fixed! The board spins effortlessly, and the ride is really smooth and very lively. And the pop!! Amazing amounts of pop!! The domed deck also makes the 2015 Flare effortless to sail. From my first runs on this board I noticed that my level just went up a notch. But what might the best thing about the Flare is that it's easy to sail! So that means not only will guys working on double burners be happy with the Flare, guys that are working on their jibes will be just as stoked with the Flares ability to carry a carve jibe at full planing speed with minimal effort.

For a closer look at the 2015 Flare, check out the video below. I'd also love to answer any questions you might have about these incredible boards.

And if you're in the market for some incredible sails, check out a close up look at the Severne Freek. It's a durable and extremely maneuverable sail all wrapped up into an incredibly light package.

2015 Starboard Flare Review from Mike Burns on Vimeo.

2015 Severne Freek Review

So after making the big decision to switch from Fanatic/North to Severne/Starboard, only a few weeks later I've had so many people contacting me as to why the switch after so many years on Northsails? The answer was a complex one, but in short North no longer carries a sail that suits my needs. Meaning It's got an all out freestyle sail, and a full on, hard core wave sail with nothing really interesting in between. (which happens to be where the majority of freestylers land) What I need is something that will stand up to the waves, but more importantly be an incredible freestyle sail that's also comfortable just to ride around on so that my wife Christina will also be happy with the sails. So I went on personal journey to find the right sail, just like when I went looking for that perfect freestyle board 5 years ago which lead me to the Fanatic Skate. Over the past year I've got my hands on so many different sails, and although there were a few other really good options, I also wanted something that would work on my NoLimitz masts. Talking to some Severne riders and the U.S. Severne rep, it seemed like I would be ok to use my favorite masts. So I gave them a shot and I couldn't be happier. Here's a detailed look at the 2015 Severne Freek.

2015 Severne Freek from Mike Burns on Vimeo.

Cape Hatteras 2014

Cape Hatteras 2014 - Mike Burns from Mike Burns on Vimeo.